A recent evaluation of the new policies and practices shows better planning to lead to better teaching practices, more community involvement, and signs of improvement in students’ learning. A national... Show More + learning assessment was developed based on international best practice: Created by NCED, it has looked at learning in grades 5, 9, and 12 for three years now. Likewise, standards for teachers, school leaders, and students were developed by teams made up of a broad range of participants.Over the course of the project, 805 individuals took part in training and capacity building. The ability of the MOE and NCED to mobilize and motivate teams to lead, advocate and embrace change, was strengthened, with staff empowered to serve as agents for change, forming communities of learning to lead knowledge transfer. The new English curriculum is a case in point: It was so enthusiastically received that English departments actually put it into practice ahead of schedule. School principals took the Show Less -

Let’s learn to speak (up)!One of the main difficulties faced by first year students is their poor command of language, both in Arabic and French, Morocco’s second official language. “These students come... Show More + with significant weaknesses when it comes to writing, reading or expressing themselves,” Settar said. “All their lives, they have been silenced in classrooms and have never been asked to speak in public.”While most of their schooling is in Arabic, instruction is in French at university, adding another layer of difficulty. Poor communication skills undermine students’ self-esteem. French language support classes at Ain Sebaa have helped curb the drop-out rate from about 54% in 2007–2010 to 46% in 2010–2013.Extra-curricular activities are also another opportunity for students to develop their communications talents. A program to improve ‘soft skills’ and encourage creativity in art, public speaking and citizen engagement has been developed. When you roam the campus and see the students’ p Show Less -

The new project will contribute to overcoming the challenge of educating the youth of Djibouti, but it is not enough. The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training and education donors have... Show More + come together behind a three-year education sector plan (Plan d’Action de l’Education 2014-2016), calling for an additional US$25 million dollars of international investment in pre-primary, primary, middle and secondary education, including technical and vocational training. At US$3.8 million dollars, the new project is important but responds only to a portion of the overall need. Using the five years (2008-2013) as a benchmark, according to World Bank data, Djibouti has increased access to primary school by 1.6% per year. At this rate, universal access to primary school won’t be achieved until 2040. The education plan calls for much more rapid increases, but complete and on-time implementation of the plan is not likely without additional resources and capacity. A quantitative jump Show Less -

In the late 2000s, Dubai adopted (and adapted) recommendations made by a flagship report the World Bank had published on education in the Middle East and North Africa. Called the Road Not Traveled (2008),... Show More + the thrust of the report was that better governance—most notably, accountability measures—could improve educational standards at the city’s growing number of private schools.Largely because of the city’s diverse expatriate population, the share of students in private education increases at about 7–8 percent a year. The vast majority (88 per cent) are taught in one of about 160 private schools—different curricula including British, American, Pakistani, French and Japanese. More and more Emirati nationals are opting for private education.A body was created to lead the effort to improve the quality of teaching in the burgeoning sector, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). The challenge for the KHDA as a new public institution was finding the right approach to the private Show Less -

In well run schools, governance and human resources management are critical Governance is another critical factor in the performance of educational systems. The ministry of National education engaged in... Show More + a decentralization process to improve the management of the substantial resources allocated to the sector. Administering budgets locally was part of a program to increase efficiency, improve local-level school governance and ensure that education programs were responsive to regional needs.Managing human resources is a key component of effective management with significant influence on the overall performance of schools. The ministry has engaged in an impressive effort to promote career development and to facilitate the movement of teachers to where their skills are most needed.In an important speech on education addressed to the nation on August 20th, 2013, King Mohamed VI presented a candid assessment of the sector’s performance. The King emphasized the role of education as a leverage Show Less -

April 15, 2013 -- Like many girls in rural Yemen, Raysa Al-Kholani was married off early—in grade 7—and faced long odds in continuing her studies. Her in-laws insisted she stay home and care for a family... Show More + of what would become nine children, but she had other ideas: She enlisted her husband’s support to return to school.“I had to take my children with me every day to the school walking almost 8 kilometers,” she recalled. “Many girls in my community rejected my friendship because I was studying with boys.”She persevered, eventually landing work as a volunteer teacher after completing her studies. “When I joined the school, the number of girls was only 10 but after 2 years, the number of girls went up to 95. My role now is not only teaching but also advocating girls’ education.”Today, Raysa gives hope to Yemeni girls as one of a pioneering group of teachers trained by the government to work in rural areas, where a lack of female teachers contributes to low enrollment and low retention of g Show Less -

Did the report’s findings reveal any major differences in the state of young men and women?GLC: In our gender studies we always look at the difficulties that young women face in participating in the labor... Show More + market, and being empowered with their own source of income. Now, even though their unemployment rate is much higher, when we interviewed a very large number of young women and men, particularly in urban areas, but with similar results in rural areas, the young women all said that the greatest pressure for making an income is on the young men. This is because young men are expected to contribute money at home, and to save enough to start their own family. With the severe lack of opportunities they are capable of neither, and this failure has resulted in them becoming alienated within their own families. The psychological pressure that the young men face is huge. It’s not a coincidence that, for the poorer ones, the coping mechanism is to use drugs and to drift in inactivity. Young wom Show Less -

School-based Reforms and InnovationTo address these problems, the World Bank-funded projects concentrate on school-based reforms and innovations, including:Strengthening school-industry linkagesImproving... Show More + school managementIntroducing a modular, competency-based training curriculumImproving student assessment and quality assurance at the school levelRe-training instructors and expanding their industry experienceUpgrading facilities and equipment“Reforms and innovation should start at the school level,” says Xiaoyan Liang, a senior education specialist at the World Bank, who manages the projects. “Learning from school-based reforms and innovations is an important feature of these projects, which will also produce lessons and guide future policy development for the entire system.”The project in Guangdong, which has been running for two years, has already brought initial outcomes:School-Industry Collaboration Guidelines and model contracts have been set.School-Industry Advisory Committee ha Show Less -

Feature Story TemplateAn interview with Adriana Jaramillo, World Bank Senior Education Specialist1. What is the relationship between higher education and development?There is a very close link between... Show More + higher education and development. Universities are key institutions that help to create new knowledge, to develop new skills, and in that respect contribute very directly to economic growth, and productivity. Apart from developing the skills and knowledge necessary for economic growth, they also play a critical role in the building of democratic societies.2. What are the investment rates for higher education in MENA, and have they produced satisfactory results?The investment rates in the MENA region are relatively high. If you look at a GDP per capita comparison, some MENA countries are even spending more than the average OECD country. However, when we look at the results, they are somewhat disappointing. There is a lot of evidence that university systems in the MENA region are not giving Show Less -

September 22, 2011 - Women and girls are in the spotlight this week as the World Bank launched its World Development Report 2012, “Gender Equality and Development,” and ignited a global conversation on... Show More + how investing in girls is both the right thing to do and smart economics. Joined by the Nike Foundation, the Bank hosted its global Open Forum on Gender and the message was clear: the girl effect all starts with education.Investing in Education Improves Gender Equality“Investing in girls is smart,” says World Bank President, Robert Zoellick. “It is central to boosting development, breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty, and allowing girls, and then women—50 percent of the world’s population—to lead better, fairer and more productive lives.”Educating women and girls is fundamental to development and growth because learning and skills enable all people to live healthier, happier, and more productive lives. Research shows that providing girls with an extra year of schooling can inc Show Less -

The majority of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and many qualify for zero-interest credits under the Bank’s fund for the poorest countries, the International Development Association.The... Show More + action plan focuses on strengthening health systems for better reproductive health outcomes, including use of various innovations in financing, service delivery and human resource management. The Bank’s aim is to provide reproductive health services to the poorest families, with a special focus on reaching young people with better access to services and information.Results-Based FinancingThe Bank also is making good on its pledge at the 2010 UN Millennium Development Goals Summit to provide an additional $600 million for results-based financing over 5 years to countries that face challenges in achieving their MDGs because of high fertility and poor child and maternal nutrition and disease.So far, the Bank has committed $314 million to seven countries in keeping with this pledge Show Less -

June 2011 - The ongoing transitions in Tunisia and Egypt make politically vibrant headlines. With less personality perhaps, economic planning is proceeding too. But economists are not talking the familiar... Show More + “fiscal deficits” and “financing gaps.” Instead it’s “governance,” “transparency” and “accountability.” After all, these are the very elements that connect the citizen to the state in a social contract capable of “security, justice and jobs,” to quote World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick, from a speech on April 6 about a “new social contract for development” in the Middle East and North Africa.But just how do these concepts translate into economic planning?What does “governance” mean in the context of economic policymaking?In the aftermath of the Arab Spring in Egypt and Tunisia, the World Bank and other development partners are engaging these countries to support them, insofar as they both want and welcome this in their transitions to a new form of government. What that will Show Less -

"Cities are at the frontline of the struggle to adapt to climate change and reduce disaster risk. When the world’s largest cities pledge to work together on energy efficiency, clean energy, and adaptation... Show More + and mitigation strategies – this can be a powerful force for change."Speaking at the global C40 summit of mayors in Sao Paulo, Brazil, World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick highlighted findings of a new World Bank study entitled Climate Change, Disaster Risk and the Urban Poor. The study found that one billion poor people living in slums are at especially high risk from the impacts of climate change and natural hazards, because they live on the most vulnerable lands within cities.“Many cities are already building climate change risks into urban planning and city management,” Zoellick said. “But this is a mammoth task that's going to take local, national and international collaboration as well as strong financial support for local governments around the world.”Today, Show Less -

June 2011 - The World Bank’s development agenda for the West Bank and Gaza has long recognized the importance of supporting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as a way to help promote social inclusion... Show More + and citizen participation. Since 1997, the Bank has invested USD 33 million of its own money in the NGO sector through a series of projects and succeeded in leveraging an additional $36 million from other donors.As a result, World Bank and donor supported grants have helped local NGOs make a significant difference in the lives of Palestinians faced with an uncertain peace process and a fragile economic state. In addition to critical services such as access to medical equipment and technology, local NGOs have given a voice to disadvantaged groups.On June 22, 2011, the World Bank and the NGO Development Center (NDC) celebrated the Third Palestinian NGO project (PNGO III) bringing together some 42 NGOs from all over the West Bank to showcase their achievements in benefitting their local c Show Less -

April 24, 2011—Over the past decade, 11 African countries have reduced confirmed malaria cases or malaria admissions and deaths by more than 50%. In all of them—Algeria, Botswana, Cape Verde, Eritrea,... Show More + Madagascar, Namibia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, South Africa, Swaziland, and Zambia—these decreases are linked with intense malaria control interventions.Since 2005, the World Bank has committed $762.8 million to the fight against malaria in Africa, more than a ten-fold increase since 2000-2005. It has financed 73.8 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets and 25.3 million doses of malaria medication over the past five years.“Sustained anti-malaria efforts are needed in Africa, which bears about 90 percent of the world’s malaria burden,” said Maryse Pierre-Louis, program leader of the World Bank’s Disease Control Program in Africa. “Recent gains, though significant, are fragile, and the danger of resurgence remains very real.”In India, following policy reforms, malaria control activi Show Less -

January 15, 2011 – In the Middle East and North Africa, the youth unemployment rate at 25% is the highest in the world. But that statistic alone doesn't tell the whole story.World Bank researchers are... Show More + finding that the actual number of jobless people between the ages of 15 and 29 in the region could be much higher. Many young people who are out of school and out of work are not reflected in the statistics because they are not looking for work.Young urban males, in particular, are at a serious disadvantage in the labor market, with many underemployed, employed in off-the-books informal work, or not working at all.“It's a huge problem, and there a no quick fixes,” says Gloria La Cava, a senior social scientist who leads youth programs in the World Bank's Middle East and North Africa (MNA) region and the youth partnership with the League of Arab States.New research is being conducted in Morocco, Egypt, and Jordan on the main trends in the employment and social outcomes for young people – w Show Less -

Amman December 15, 2010 – Young Jordanian women say they are entering the workforce with more confidence, sharper skills, and increased opportunity, thanks to a pilot program sponsored by the World Bank... Show More + as part of its global Adolescent Girls Initiative.“The training changed my life,” said Farrah, a young woman from Amman, at the program’s launch in the Jordanian capital.Overall, 900 young Jordanian women – all recent community college graduates – are participating in the Jordan New work Opportunities for Women (NOW) pilot program.Young women comprise only nine percent of the economically active population in Jordan. While they are more educated than their male counterparts, they experience twice as much difficulty getting a job. Jordan NOW is designed to break down employment barriers for young women, offering participants training to increase their work skills and monthly job vouchers as a small financial incentive to businesses to hire them.For Zainab, an accounting specialist from S Show Less -

Washington DC, October 7, 2010 – Knowledge has become the major driving force of economic and social development. Coupled with globalization and accelerated by the rapid distribution and transfer of knowledge,... Show More + this development impacts all countries and regionsThe concept of the Knowledge Economy has now entered the mainstream of economic policies for many developed and developing countries. According to the World Bank Knowledge Assessment Methodology, for a knowledge economy to thrive in a country it needs four pillars: a sound economic and institutional regime; education; information infrastructure; and, an innovation system.Tunisia is leading the way in the Middle East and North Africa region, embracing what it takes to develop a knowledge-based economy which will help the country better use its strong human capital to enhance productivity and growth.This is the message conveyed by World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick, Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, and World Bank Reg Show Less -

September 2010 — The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has made notable strides in improving the health, education, and standard of living of its people. But countries in the region face a number... Show More + of challenges, including social and economic gaps between rich and poor, high youth unemployment, and persistent gender differentials.All MENA countries with the exception of Djibouti, Iraq, and Yemen stand to meet or narrowly miss most of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).What are the Millenium Development Goals ?Adopted by world leaders in the year 2000 and set to be achieved by 2015, the MDGs are both global and local, tailored by each country to suit specific development needs. The MDGs are the most broadly supported, comprehensive and specific development goals the world has ever agreed upon. These eight time-bound - by 2015 - goals provide concrete, numerical benchmarks for tackling extreme poverty in its many dimensions. They include goals and targets on income poverty, hu Show Less -

August 12, 2010— As the world prepares to celebrate International Youth Day today with a ceremony at United Nations headquarters, the International Labour Organization (ILO) is warning that youth unemployment... Show More + worldwide has reached a new high, is climbing further still, and warns of the "risk of a crisis legacy of a ‘lost generation’ comprised of young people who have dropped out of the labor market, having lost all hope of being able to work for a decent living."According to a new ILO report released today, of some 620 million economically active young people ages 15 to 24, about 81 million were unemployed at the end of 2009, the highest level in two decades of record-keeping by the organization. The global youth unemployment rate increased to 13% in 2009 from 11.9% in the last assessment in 2007.This grim pronouncement will weigh heavily on the minds of youth leaders, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and other leaders who are gathering at the United Nations this morning t Show Less -